FIRST Minister Carwyn Jones believes relations between the Welsh Government and Westminster are improving.

But dealings with individual Whitehall departments by the devolved administration still ‘varied greatly’, he said. It was at its worst with departments which did not normally deal with devolved issues.

The Home Office and Ministry for Justice were singled out by the First Minister where ‘the engagement with the Welsh Government is at a far lower level than it should be’.

Despite the Attorney General’s referral of the Welsh Government’s first Bill to the Supreme Court questioning Cardiff’s competence, day to day relationships were better, he said.

Mr Jones was giving evidence to AMs on the Assembly’s First Minister scrutiny committee.

He said: “I think the relationship is better than it previously was. There is certainly a lot more contact between myself and the Secretary of State (for Wales) in exchanging routine information.

“I will meet the Secretary of State on average once a month. There will be other occasions, phone calls on a weekly basis. Communications with the Prime Minister are less frequent. The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the Joint Ministerial Council and I see him more frequently.”

He denied that the action in the Supreme Court had been a ‘breakdown in communications: “They took one view and we took another. I don’t think the reference was malicious by the UK Government.”

Mr Jones dismissed concern that the Welsh Government’s Organ Donation Wales Bill could also end up in the Supreme Court over human rights issues. “We believe that the Bill is within competence and there are detailed discussions taking place with the UK Government.”

Earlier, the First Minister admitted that 13 years ago when the Assembly was established there would have been issues over whether civil servants in Wales had the expertise to draft new laws.

“In the main the Welsh Office took what was being produced in Whitehall and stamped Wales on the front and little else,” he said.

But the system prior to the 2011 referendum had been a ‘useful learning curve’, he said.

He recognised that the capacity and capability of our civil service to deliver the legislative programme needed to be strengthened.

“There are fewer officials than there were before, and many of them have not developed primary legislation before.”

Since 2011, the Welsh Government had consulted on three draft Bills, seven White Papers, four Green Papers, and r nine policy consultations connected to legislative proposals. “I am confident our ambitious legislative programme will be delivered in full in this Fourth Assembly,” he said.